FAIRY STORY MARIAS FLORIAN

https://images.app.goo.gl/L4GCkcKkeatrpAq69 A Fairy Tale
by María X. Carrero

Once upon a time there was a big, strong and brave girl called Marías Florian. She was on the
way to see her boyfriend Juan patricks, when she decided to take a short cut through the forest
Montcarlo.
It wasn't long before Marías got lost. She looked around, but all she could see were trees.
Nervously, she felt into her bag for her favourite toy, Mr tigger, but Mr tigger was nowhere to be
found! Marías began to panic. She felt sure she had packed Mr tigger. To make matters worse,
she was starting to feel hungry.
Unexpectedly, she saw a scary and strong lion dressed in a black coat black disappearing into the
trees.
"How odd!" thought Marías.
For the want of anything better to do, she decided to follow the peculiarly dressed lion. Perhaps
it could tell him the way out of the forest.
Eventually, Marías reached a clearing. In the clearing were three houses, one made from lettuces
and carrots, one made from potates and one made from meal.
Marías could feel her tummy rumbling. Looking at the houses did nothing to ease her hunger.
"Hello!" she called. "Is anybody there?"
Nobody replied.

Marías looked at the roof on the closest house and wondered if it would be
rude to eat somebody else's chimney. Obviously it would be impolite to eat
a whole house, but perhaps it would be considered acceptable to nibble the
odd fixture or lick the odd fitting, in a time of need.
https://images.app.goo.gl/hG7oU
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A cackle broke through the air, giving Marías a fright. A witch jumped into the space in front of
the houses. She was carrying a cage. In that cage was Mr tigger!
"Mr tigger!" shouted Marías. She turned to the witch. "That's my toy!"
The witch just shrugged.
"Give Mr tigger back!" cried Marías.
"Not on your nelly!" said the witch.
"At least let Mr tigger out of that cage!"
Before she could reply, two scary and strong lions rushed in from a footpath on the other side of
the clearing. Marías recognised the one in the black coat black that she'd seen earlier. The witch
seemed to recognise him too.
"Hello Big Lion," said the witch.
"Good morning." The lion noticed Mr tigger. "Who is this?"
"That's Mr tigger," explained the witch.

"Ooh! Mr tigger would look lovely in my house. Give it to me!" demanded the lion.
The witch shook her head. "Mr tigger is staying with me."
"Um... Excuse me..." Marías interrupted. "Mr tigger lives with me! And not in a cage!"
Big Lion ignored her. "Is there nothing you'll trade?" he asked the witch.
The witch thought for a moment, then said, "I do like to be entertained. I'll release him to
anybody who can eat a whole front door."
Big Lion looked at the house made from meal and said, "No problem, I could eat an entire house
made from meal if I wanted to."
"That's nothing," said the next lion. "I could eat two houses."
"There's no need to show off," said the witch. Just eat one front door and I'll let you have Mr
tigger."

Marías watched, feeling very worried. She didn't want the witch to give Mr tigger to Big Lion.
She didn't think Mr tigger would like living with a scary and strong lion, away from her house
and all her other toys.
The other one lions watched while Big Lion put on his bib and withdrew a knife and fork from
his pocket.
"I'll eat this whole house," said Big Lion. "Just you watch!"
Big Lion pulled off a corner of the front door of the house made from potates. He gulped it down
smiling, and went back for more.
And more.
And more.
Eventually, Big Lion started to get bigger - just a little bit bigger at first. But after a few more
fork-fulls of potates, he grew to the size of a large snowball - and he was every bit as round.
"Erm... I don't feel too good," said Big Lion.
Suddenly, he started to roll. He'd grown so round that he could no longer balance!

"Help!" he cried, as he rolled off down a slope into the forest.
Big Lion never finished eating the front door made from potates and Mr tigger remained trapped
in the witch's cage.
Average Lion stepped up, and approached the house made from meal.
"I'll eat this whole house," said Average Lion. "Just you watch!"
Average Lion pulled off a corner of the front door of the house made from meal. She gulped it
down smiling, and went back for more.
And more.
And more.
After a while, Average Lion started to look a little queasy. She grew greener...
...and greener.
A woodcutter walked into the clearing. "What's this bush doing here?" he asked.
"I'm not a bush, I'm a lion!" said Average Lion.
"It talks!" exclaimed the woodcutter. "Those talking bushes are the worst kind. I'd better take it
away before somebody gets hurt."

"No! Wait!" cried Average Lion, as the woodcutter picked her up. But the woodcutter ignored
her cries and carried the lion away under his arm.
Average Lion never finished eating the front door made from meal and Mr tigger remained
trapped in the witch's cage.
"That's it," said the witch. "I win. I get to keep Mr tigger."
"Not so fast," said Marías. "There is still one front door to go. The front door of the house made
from lettuces and carrots. And I haven't had a turn yet.
"I don't have to give you a turn!" laughed the witch. "My game. My rules."
The woodcutter's voice carried through the forest. "I think you should give her a chance. It's only
fair."
"Fine," said the witch. "But you saw what happened to the lions. She won't last long."
"I'll be right back," said Marías.
"What?" said the witch. "Where's your sense of impatience? I thought you wanted Mr tigger
back."
Marías ignored the witch and gathered a hefty pile of sticks. She came back to the clearing and
started a small camp fire. Carefully, she broke off a piece of the door of the house made from
lettuces and carrots and toasted it over the fire. Once it had cooked and cooled just a little, she
took a bite. She quickly devoured the whole piece.

Marías sat down on a nearby log.
"You fail!" cackled the witch. "You were supposed to eat the whole door."
"I haven't finished," explained Marías. "I am just waiting for my food to go down."
When Marías's food had digested, she broke off another piece of the door made from lettuces and
carrots. Once more, she toasted her food over the fire and waited for it to cool just a little. She
ate it at a leisurely pace then waited for it to digest.
Eventually, after several sittings, Marías was down to the final piece of the door made from
lettuces and carrots. Carefully, she toasted it and allowed it to cool just a little. She finished her
final course. Marías had eaten the entire front door of the house made from lettuces and carrots.
The witch stamped her foot angrily. "You must have tricked me!" she said. "I don't reward
cheating!"
"I don't think so!" said a voice. It was the woodcutter. He walked back into the clearing, carrying
his axe. "This little girl won fair and square. Now hand over Mr tigger or I will chop your
broomstick in half."
The witch looked horrified. She grabbed her broomstick and placed it behind her. Then, huffing,
she opened the door of the cage.
Marías hurried over and grabbed Mr tigger, checking that her favourite toy was all right.
Fortunately, Mr tigger was unharmed.

Marías thanked the woodcutter, grabbed a quick souvenir, and hurried on to meet Juan. It was
starting to get dark.
When Marías got to Juan's house, her boyfriend threw his arms around her.
"I was so worried!" cried Juan. "You are very late."
As Marías described her day, she could tell that Juan didn't believe her. So she grabbed a napkin
from her pocket.
"What's that?" asked Juan.
Marías unwrapped a doorknob made from potates. "Pudding!" she said.
Juan almost fell off his chair.
Created on 31st March 2021.